Haifa toxic ammonia gas tank ordered emptied within 10 days – Israel News – WBNews

The Haifa Local Affairs Court ruled on Sunday that the city’s 12,000-ton ammonia tank must be emptied entirely within 10 days, to dismantle the region’s infamous “ticking time bomb.” In addition to tasking the controversial container’s proprietor, Haifa Chemicals, with vacating the tank, the court also ordered the company to refrain from adding any new quantities of ammonia to the facility within that time frame. The firm also must ensure that by the end of that 10-day period, an alternative emergency stock of ammonia is available as per the company’s contractual commitments, according to the judgment. “The respondent will take care of emptying the ammonia tank, but because it is impossible to empty the container immediately, due to the risks involved, the respondent is granted a period of 10 days for the purpose of emptying the tank,” the judgement said. “If circumstances arise that justify a further extension for the purpose of emptying the tank, the respondent will be permitted to apply to the court with an explanatory and detailed request for granting the extension, while specifying its mode of emptying the tank.” Located in the Haifa Bay, the ammonia container in question is a 12,000-ton facility, which has long been seen as a “ticking time bomb” by Israeli environmental activists and politicians alike. The tank began garnering international attention in February, when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened to attack it. Following the Haifa Municipality’s appeal last week to shut down the container entirely, a Haifa Local Affairs justice issued…more detail